Tag Archives: cozy mystery

Book Review: The Wedding Caper

9 Jun

The_Wedding_CaperWhen a $25,000 night deposit mysteriously disappears from the Clark County Savings and Loan, Annie Peterson, has reason to be concerned and to assume the role of amateur sleuth. Her husband’s job at the bank makes him a potential suspect, but knowing him to be a godly man, she can’t imagine it. Then again, there is that matter of the weddings to factor in. Twin daughters Brandi and Candy have just received proposals and two weddings are pending. Sure, Warren occasionally jokes about robbing the bank to pay for the ceremonies, but Annie knows him better than that  . . . doesn’t she?

 

Janice5-241x300Award-winning author Janice Thompson also writes under the pseudonym Janice Hanna. She got her start in the industry writing screenplays and musical comedies for the stage. Janice has published nearly eighty books for the Christian market, crossing genre lines to write cozy mysteries, historicals, romances, nonfiction books, devotionals, children’s books and more. In addition, she enjoys editing, ghost-writing, public speaking, and mentoring young writers. Janice currently serves as Vice-President of CAN (Christian Authors Network) and was named the 2008 Mentor of the year for ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). She was thrilled to be named the 2010 Barbour/Heartsong Author of the Year, with three books on the top ten list for that house. Janice is active in her local writing group, where she regularly teaches on the craft of writing. Her online course, “Becoming a Successful Freelance Writer” (www.freelancewritingcourses.com) has been helpful to many who want to earn a living with their writing. Janice is passionate about her faith and does all she can to share the joy of the Lord with others, which is why she particularly enjoys writing. She lives in Spring, Texas, where she leads a rich life with her family, a host of writing friends, and two mischievous dachshunds. She does her best to keep the Lord at the center of it all.

 

My Impressions:

Sometimes I just need a cozy mystery — a light, quick, entertaining read filled with quirky characters and a puzzle to solve. And since it is June and The Wedding Month, I picked The Wedding Caper by Janice Thompson. This title has been on my Kindle a looong time! It sure fit the bill. This book is good for those times when a little fun is what you need.

Annie Peterson’s twin daughters have announced they are both engaged. A little stunned by the news, Annie quickly gets into planning mode — until her husband comes home with $25,000 in cash to pay for wedding expenses. This would not necessarily be a problem except that the bank where her husband works has just been robbed — of $25,000 in cash! Determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, Annie starts investigating with the help of an online course in investigative skills.

No murders, just a robbery, but a puzzler to be sure. A night deposit with a lot of cash goes missing. And while there is no shortage of suspects, there are no clues. Annie’s investigation is rather informal but she does depend on her online course and her daily devotionals to look at the facts through God’s eyes. That is my favorite part of this whodunit — the way Hanna aligned the tips for investigators with the daily wisdom from God. And while Annie does crack the case, she learns a lot more about how God views the people involved. Perfect for a weekend read, The Wedding Caper has a strong faith message running through it. I look forward to reading more books involving Annie.

Recommended.

(I purchased this book for my Kindle. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase this book, click on the image below. It is only $0.99 on Kindle!

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Book Review: Good, Clean Murder

1 May

UnknownLiving on her own for her first time, Bible school student Jane cleans houses to make ends meet. But being independent brings big trials, like falling for a handsome professor, dealing with an obnoxious roommate, and then there’s the dead bodies…

Who knew being housekeeper to wealthy owners of a Roly Burger franchise would mean sweeping up clues to their death, while ministering to the needs of their heirs?

This is one big mess that Jane is intent on cleaning up before things get even worse.

 

DSC_3094-2About Traci Tyne Hilton — When not writing I Facebook too much, knit socks, and accompany my mandolin loving husband on the spoons.

I’m also the author of The Mitzy Neuhaus Mystery Series, The Plain Jane Mystery Series, and one of the authors in The Tangle Saga series of science fiction novellas. I was the Mystery/Suspense Category winner for the 2012 Christian Writers of the West Phoenix Rattler Contest, a finalist for Speculative Fiction in the same contest, and have a Drammy from the Portland Civic Theatre Guild. I currently serve as the Vice President of the Portland chapter of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association.

I have a degree in History from Portland State University and still live in the rainiest part of the Pacific Northwest with my goofy family and two small dogs.

 

My Impressions:

Good, Clean Murder is a cozy mystery with a new adult twist. Filled with a few crazy characters, an earnest Bible student/house cleaner/amateur sleuth, and an integral faith message, Traci Tyne Hilton’s novel will appeal to those who like cozies.

Jane Adler is a Bible school student trying to find her place of service. Her world is a bit out of control, but she has faith that God will direct her course. But discovering two dead bodies just adds to the upheaval that faces her. Evicted from her apartment, involved with a new romantic interest, and the discovery that her Bible school education doesn’t matter, Jane has to face her decisions with a critical eye.

While I enjoyed the mystery, it was Jane’s struggle with pleasing man, herself and God that I found kept me turning the pages. While Jane desires to serve God on the mission field, she has to face whether she is motivated by God’s love or pride in her pursuit of her dream. Overall, I liked Good, Clean Murder and look forward to more in this series.

Recommended.

(I purchased this book for my Kindle. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

 

To purchase this book, click on the image below. The Kindle version is free!

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Book Review: Irregardless of Murder

24 Apr

438181Amelia Prentice, a forty-something high school English teacher comfortable in her predictable routine, regains consciousness after tripping over the corpse of a former student in the safest of places, the public library. Returning to the classroom, she tries to pretend nothing happened. But when it becomes obvious that the victim’s death wasn’t an accident and she is now a murder suspect, she realizes that her cozy small-town life in New York’s Adirondack region will never be the same.

Crazy things begin to happen: The victim’s mother disappears. Amelia’s friend Lily is thrown overboard from the Lake Champlain ferryboat. A mysterious millionaire from Montreal seems determined to buy Amelia’s house. The school nurse is viciously attacked by a student. Amelia’s old beau Gil suddenly seems determined to rekindle their romance. Amelia is carjacked, and of course, there’s the Lake Champlain Monster . . .

It will take all Amelia’s wisdom, humor, and faith to figure out what’s going on and embrace the new life that lies ahead. If she survives.

 

ellen-kennedy-300x240(From Goodreads) As a teen, E.E. Kennedy nursed the dream of being a Broadway star, but since she couldn’t stand rejection, she chose being a writer instead. (Who knew?) Life has been kind to E.E. She’s married to an inventor who understands the creative process. She’s the grandmother of 5 children whose cuteness really cuts into her writing time!

She decided to start writing when she ran out of Agatha Christies and couldn’t find anything else she wanted to read. “Okay,” she said, “I’ll write something I’d want to read.” And she did. On alternate days, she thinks her work is brilliant and miserable, but she keeps at it and is grateful for her gracious publisher, Sheaf House, who seems happy to publish her mysteries. Her mission statement is a hokey one: “wholesome entertainment.”

 

My Impressions:

Being a grammar nerd, the title of E. E. Kennedy’s first cozy mystery, Irregardless of Murder, piqued my interest. Who could resist a book with a main character and amateur sleuth who is a high school English teacher!? 😉 What I found was a fun and twisting ride through a small New England town filled with real folks. If you like cozy mysteries, be sure to check out Irregardless of Murder.

Amelia Prentice, known to townspeople of all ages as Miss Prentice, is a 40-something, single teacher. Having devoted herself to family, she finds herself the unwilling owner of a cat and living alone in a big, historic house. When had she become the town’s old maid? Yet as she literally stumbles upon a dead body in the library, she becomes first the main suspect and then the target of the real killer. With the help of Vern, a taxi driver/reporter and old flame Gil, owner/editor of the newspaper, Amelia gets to the bottom of the mysterious goings on.

Irregardless of Murder has all the traits of a cozy mystery — small town setting, charming and intelligent amateur sleuth, quirky townspeople and a puzzling mystery. It also includes the hope of love and second chances, and a lake monster! A natural faith message is woven throughout; subtle and never preachy. I had my suspicions about the true murderer, but did not guess the motive. Kennedy’s novel is perfect for weekend or vacation reading or when you just want a little light and entertaining read.

Recommended.

(I purchased this book for my Kindle. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase this book, click on the image below.

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Book Review: The Thursday Morning Breakfast (And Murder) Club

27 Jan

Thursday_Morning_6.5_9.5_bleed_revised_WEB-205x300When Clare Ballard sports a new bruise on her right cheek the day after a contentious town meeting, the ladies of the Thursday Morning Breakfast Club suspect her husband Roger of abusing her. That same day Hester Franklin, another breakfast club lady, is called to rescue her grandson Patrick after he is arrested for transporting drugs. Proclaiming his innocence, Patrick threatens that those who set him up will pay. Roger Ballard is high on his list. But it’s when Lillie Mae Harris, the club’s leader, discovers the body of the local drug dealer on the nearby hiking trail, that the community is upended. Roger Ballard, the primary suspect, goes missing, and when his body turns up in his own back yard, Clare Ballard confesses to his murder. No one believes she did it, but Clare insists she’s guilty and mysteriously refuses to talk to her lawyer, the police, or her family and friends. The Thursday Morning Breakfast Club ladies believe she’s protecting someone, and they vow to find out who it is. Charlie Warren, the town’s homegrown policeman, using unconventional means, collaborates with the breakfast club ladies to draw out the real criminal. But danger lurks. Alice Portman, the matriarch of the breakfast club, is struck down in her own yard and is sent to the hospital. Then others in the small community start to disappear—one after the other. As the ladies get closer to the truth, they get closer to the danger. With no time to cry over spilled coffee, they form a plan to capture the true culprits before someone else is murdered.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERALiz Stauffer wrote stories in high school, but transferred her writing skills to the corporate world after her divorce from an Air Force pilot, as a means of supporting her two young sons. Moving between educational research and the computer world, she wrote everything from political encyclopedias and travel articles, to marketing literature and software manuals. But it wasn’t until she found herself stranded in a South Dakota winter, that she returned to writing fiction.

After a successful corporate career, Liz gave up that world to travel and to write, and in some cases, to combine her two loves. Having lived in some fourteen states during her early adult years, she’s traveled to all fifty states, and to some fifty countries on four continents. When not traveling, she lives with her two dogs in Hollywood, Florida.

For several years after retiring, Liz lived six months a year in Pen Mar, Maryland, a small community nestled into the foothills of the Appalachians, straddling the Maryland/Pennsylvania border, her house just feet from the Appalachian Trail. Pen Mar, once the site of a grand summer resort built by the railroad in the late nineteenth century, is the inspiration for the site of her Thursday Morning Breakfast and Murder Club mysteries. Her protagonist, Lillie Mae Harris, shares some of her own interests. Both women love to talk, love their friends and family but also love to meet new people, love to be outside, and love to hike. Lillie Mae would bike as much as Liz does, if the country roads she cruises were supportive to biking. Liz also has a great love of the beach, which Lillie Mae finds hot and tedious.

Currently Liz is working on the third Thursday morning breakfast club mystery and is planning a grand epic that features the Pen Mar Park and Resort.

My Impressions:

Liz Stauffer’s The Thursday Morning Breakfast (And Murder) Club introduces us to Mount Penn, a small village in the Maryland mountains and its residents, many who are gossips and busybodies. The action of this cozy mystery centers on the local group of men and women who meet every Thursday morning for breakfast and friendship. But when one of their own is accused of murder and others in the group are targeted for violence, the ladies of the group mobilize to find out whodunit.

While I love cozy mysteries, I had trouble connecting with this book. There seemed to be a lot of detail that was not included — physical descriptions of characters and their relationship to each other. I also figured out early who the culprit was, but not the why of the murder. The main snoop, Lillie Mae, has the information needed to solve the case, but it is not shared with the reader. For those who care about such things, there is some profanity as well. Other readers have liked this one, so be sure to check other reviews HERE.

(Thanks to Book Publicity Services for a review copy. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase this book, click on the image below.

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Book Review: Murder by Syllabub

11 Oct

Murder by Syllabub

by Kathleen Delaney

on Tour September – October, 2013

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Published by: Camel Press
Publication Date: July 1, 2013
Number of Pages: 298
ISBN: 978-1-60381-957-2
Purchase Links:

Synopsis:

A ghost in Colonial dress has been wreaking havoc at an old plantation house in Virginia. The house is owned by Elizabeth Smithwood, the best friend of Ellen McKenzie’s Aunt Mary. Mary is determined to fly to the rescue, and Ellen has no choice but to leave her real estate business and new husband to accompany her. Who else will keep the old girl out of trouble? When Ellen and Aunt Mary arrive, they find that Elizabeth’s “house” comprises three sprawling buildings containing all manner of secret entrances and passages, not to mention slave cabins. But who owns what and who owned whom? After Monty—the so-called ghost and stepson of Elizabeth’s dead husband—turns up dead in Elizabeth’s house, suspicion falls on her. Especially when the cause of death is a poisoned glass of syllabub taken from a batch of the sweet, creamy after-dinner drink sitting in Elizabeth’s refrigerator. Monty had enemies to spare. Why was he roaming the old house? What was he searching for? To find the truth, Ellen and her Aunt Mary will have to do much more than rummage through stacks of old crates; they will have to expose two hundred years of grudges and vendettas. The spirits they disturb are far deadlier than the one who brought them to Virginia. Murder by Syllabub is the fifth book of the Ellen McKenzie Mystery series.

Read an excerpt:

Mildred leaned back against the drain board, as if she needed it to prop her up. “Do you think he’ll be back?”
I set the dish on the drain board along with the other rinsed dishes. “You mean the murderer?”
Mildred nodded.
I’d wondered the same thing. “I think it was Monty prowling around upstairs, looking for something. Why he was dressed like that, I can’t imagine, but I don’t think he found whatever it was he was looking for. The only reason I can think of for both Monty and whoever slipped him the poison to be here is they were looking for the same thing. I don’t think they found it. So, yes, I think whoever it is will be back.”
Mildred nodded. “I think so, too. That crate was no accident.” She paused before going on, her voice filled with apprehension. “You know, McMann isn’t going to buy the mysterious prowler story. He’s going to take the easy way out. Elizabeth fed Monty the poison before she left for the airport and we’re protecting her.” She sighed deeply and turned to the dishwasher. “Might as well load this. Can you hand me that bowl?”
She opened the door, pulled out the top rack and froze. “How did that get in here?”
“What’s the matter? Oh no.”
We stood, frozen, staring at the immaculately clean crystal glass, sitting on the top rack in solitary splendor.
“That’s one of the old syllabub glasses.” Mildred turned around to look at the glasses on the hutch and returned her gaze to the dishwasher. She pulled the rack out all the way but the dishwasher was empty, except for the one glass.
I’d had a close enough look at the glass next to Monty to know this was from the same set. “It’s the missing syllabub glass.”
“Missing?” Mildred’s hand went out to touch it, but she quickly withdrew. “Where are the others? Cora Lee and I packed these away years ago. There were eight of them. How did this one get in here?”
“Noah didn’t tell you?”
“That boy only tells me what he wants me to know. What was it he should have told me?”
“The set of these glasses were on the sideboard in the dining room where Monty was killed. Six of them. One was beside Monty with the remains of a sticky drink in it. That made seven. One was missing. The one the murderer used.”
We stared at each other then back into the dishwasher. “That’s got to be the missing one, right there.” Mildred took a better look. “It’s clean. Someone’s trying to frame Elizabeth.”

Author Bio:

Kathleen Delaney has written four previous Ellen McKenzie Real Estate mysteries, but has never before transported her characters out of California. A number of years ago she visited Colonial Williamsburg and fell in love. Long fascinated with our country’s history, especially the formation years, she knew she wanted to set a story there. Another trip with her brother and sister-in-law solidified the idea that had been rolling around in her head but she needed more information. A phone call to the nice people at Colonial Williamsburg provided her with appointments to visit the kitchen at the Payton Randolph house, where she got her first lesson in hearth cooking and a meeting with the people who manage the almost extinct animal breeds the foundation is working to preserve. A number of books purchased at the wonderful bookstore at the visitor’s center gave her the additional information she needed and the story that was to become Murder by Syllabub came into being. Kathleen lived most of her life in California but now resides in Georgia. She is close to many historical sites, which she has eagerly visited, not only as research for this book but because the east is rich in monuments to the history of our country. Luckily, her grandchildren are more than willing to accompany her on their tours of exploration. You can find Kathleen on the Web at delaney.camelpress.com.

Catch Up With the Author:

 

My Impressions:

I love a cozy mystery with great local color, interesting characters and a sleuth that is determined to find out just whodunit. Murder by Syllabub fits the bill. Ellen Mackenzie is ever loyal to her family and friends, so when she finds herself in the midst of a murder mystery involving her Aunt Mary’s long time friend, Elizabeth, she is determined that the right person should be brought to justice. The investigation kept me interested, but it was the setting of colonial Williamsburg and its environs that kept me turning the pages. A very modern story, the look back at the culture and customs of colonial America was great. Delaney really did her homework! And although I did have an inkling on who the true murderer was, there was enough doubt that kept it interesting. Part of a series, Murder by Syllabub can be read as a standalone. Please note: there was a good bit of mild profanity. All in all a very enjoyable read!

 

For other reviews, click HERE.

(Thanks to Partners in Crime for my review copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

phpThumb_generated_thumbnailjpgA Taste of Murder by Syllabub — Elizabeth has embraced the colonial roots of her home. Her syllabub recipe is to die for! Here is a non-alcoholic version from Cook It! you may enjoy — Lemon Syllabub.



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Book Review: Death of The Couch Potato’s Wife

24 Sep

Cover-1-11-200x300Welcome to Boring, Indiana, home to patio cookouts, homeowner dues, carpeted lawns, and neighbors so welcoming they’re dying to meet you — literally.

City slicker turned suburbanite housewife Laura Berry isn’t taking well to life in her new neighborhood. She moved to follow her husband’s dream, and now she can’t tell if she’s clinically depressed or just bored half to death. But Boring becomes anything but when Laura discovers her neighbor Candace Flynn face up on a sofa with her hand buried in a snack bag. With a healthy dose of neighborly suspicion and street smarts, Laura sets out to find Flynn’s killer, but her curiosity becomes desperation when the killer targets Laura.

Someone is determined to stop her from digging deeper into the murder, but Laura is just as determined to figure out who’s behind the death-by-poisoned-pork-rinds.

of50480480-200x300Christy Barritt is an author, freelance writer and speaker who lives in Virginia. She’s married to her Prince Charming, a man who thinks she’s hilarious–but only when she’s not trying to be. Christy’s a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover who’s known for spontaneously bursting into song, and a road trip aficionado. She’s only won one contest in her life – and her prize was kissing a pig (okay, okay… actually she did win the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery for her book Suspicious Minds also). Her current claim to fame is showing off her mother, who looks just like former First Lady Barbara Bush.

When she’s not working or spending time with her family, she enjoys singing, playing the guitar, and exploring small, unsuspecting towns where people have no idea how accident prone she is.

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My Impressions:

My guilty reading pleasure (and I admit I don’t feel that guilty about it) is cozy mysteries. When I find a cozy that combines all the fun aspects of the genre with a Christian message, I jump on it. Christy Barritt writes what I like,  and Death of The Couch Potato’s Wife satisfied my craving for small town characters, an amateur sleuth and a puzzling mystery.

Laura Berry lives in Boring, Indiana in Dullington Estates. But her small town experience following years in Chicago, is anything but dull and boring when she discovers her neighbor dead among the pork rinds. Along with her slang talking best friend, 70-something Babe, Laura sets out to discover who killed the Couch King’s wife. But someone is listening in to her conversations and has her in their sights, causing Laura to suspect just about everyone in her neighborhood.

Fun and funny, Death of The Couch Potato’s Wife, is fast-paced. The characters are a bit eccentric without becoming too over the top in quirkiness. I live in a small town neighborhood with what we lovingly call the covenant police. I can really relate to all the happenings at Boring’s church, homeowner’s meetings and small town businesses. And while I guessed early on just whodunit, Laura’s struggle with adjusting to small town life kept me laughing and turning the pages.

Recommended.

(I bought this book for my Kindle. All opinions are mine alone.)

RU202960.jpg.rendition.largestA Taste of Death of The Couch Potato’s Wife. Laura suspects the banana bread that mysteriously appears in her kitchen of being poisoned. Here is a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens for Best Banana Bread, guaranteed not to be laced with arsenic or sleeping pills!

To purchase a copy of this book, click on the image below.

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Book Review: Trial And Terror

24 Jul

18221637

Just when Melnik looks set for revitalization, Maddie a troublemaking doctoral student comes to town doing research that could ruin everything. When Maddie finds a dead body and is arrested, Tyler Simpson finds out he’s the court-appointed attorney for the most hated woman in town. 

74df8a5e943d0ad8986cb1-l-_v142787161_sx200_Mary Connealy writes romantic comedy . . . with cowboys.

She is a Carol Award winner, and a Rita and Christy and Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist.

She is the author of bestselling Kincaid Brides Series: Out of Control, In Too Deep,Over the Edge. Her work also includes Lassoed in Texas Trilogy, Montana Marriages Trilogy and Sophie’s Daughters Trilogy.

She also wrote Ten Plagues – a romantic thriller, and The Historical Society Murders – three cozy mysteries, under the name Mary Nealy.

Mary is married to a Nebraska rancher and has four grown daughters and two spectacular grandchildren.

My Impressions:

Trial and Terror is the third and final installment in May Nealy’s Historical Society Murders. (You can read my reviews of the first two books by clicking on these links — Bury The Lead and Fright at The Museum.) Again, the zany residents are out in force to protect their beloved Maxie, world’s largest field mouse, from scandal. Maddie is new in town, an anthropologist determined to put the townspeople under the magnifying glass. But a dead man in her cupboard, a few stints of jail time and her attraction to lawyer Tyler Simpson have her rethinking her thesis and her heart. This last book was the funniest, and by far my favorite, with all my favorite Melnikians present. If you like cozy mysteries with crazy characters, some sweet romance and a faith message, check out the whole series. These are light and laugh out loud funny.

Recommended.

(I purchased this book for my Kindle. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase Trial And Terror, click on the image below.

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Book Review: Fright at The Museum

16 Jul

Fright at the MuseumMuseum curator Bonnie Simpson is attacked then nearly run over, then she finds a dead guy in Melnik’s Historical Museum, which is the closest she’s come to having a visitor to the museum all week. Joe, the guy who attacked her might have been diving on her to save her from the car. And the car might have just been an octogenarian with an accelerator/brake problem. But that still leaves a corpse to explain.

74df8a5e943d0ad8986cb1-l-_v142787161_sx200_Mary Connealy writes romantic comedy . . . with cowboys.

She is a Carol Award winner, and a Rita and Christy and Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist.
She is the author of bestselling Kincaid Brides Series: Out of Control, In Too Deep,Over the Edge. Her work also includes Lassoed in Texas Trilogy, Montana Marriages Trilogy and Sophie’s Daughters Trilogy.
She also wrote Ten Plagues–a romantic thriller, and The Historical Society Murders–three cozy mysteries, under the name Mary Nealy.
Mary is married to a Nebraska rancher and has four grown daughters and two spectacular grandchildren.

My Impressions:

I like a cozy mystery — fun and quirky characters, small town setting and a mystery to solve along with the amateur sleuths in the novel. Mary Nealy has written a fun series featuring the town of Melnick, Nebraska; a town obsessed with its mascot, a stuffed mouse named Maxie. The townspeople go to great lengths to protect Maxie and in turn the town they love. In the second book of the series, Bonnie Simpson aka Marian the Librarian is featured. This shy woman gets bold when her town and Maxie are threatened and when love finally comes to call. Joe, a newcomer in town, needs her help and the sparks fly (literally) when they finally get together.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries, I recommend Fright at The Museum. It is laugh out loud funny, read quickly and features some great characters. (You can read my review of book 1, Bury The Lead, HERE.)

Recommended.

(I purchased Fright at The Museum for my Kindle. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase a copy of this book, click on the image below. 

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Book Review: A Plain Death

3 Jul

676970_w185Welcome to Appleseed Creek, the heart of Ohio’s Amish Country, where life is not as serene as it seems.

While her Cleveland friends relocated to Southern California and Italy, 24-year-old computer whiz Chloe Humphrey moves with some uncertainty to Appleseed Creek to direct technology services at a nearby college. Her first acquaintance is Becky, an ex-Amish teenager looking for a new home.

While driving Chloe’s car, Becky collides with a buggy, killing an Amish elder. But what looks like an accident is soon labeled murder when police discover the car’s cut brake line.

Now, Chloe must take on the role of amateur sleuth to discover who the real intended victim was before the murderer makes a second attempt. Becky’s handsome Amish-turned-Mennonite brother, Timothy, a local carpenter, comes in handy along the way. With God’s help, they’ll solve the mystery that’s rocking this small community.

34897648_xc41Amanda Flower, an Agatha-nominated mystery author, started her writing career in elementary school when she read a story she wrote to her sixth grade class and had the class in stitches with her description of being stuck on the top of a Ferris wheel. She knew at that moment she’d found her calling of making people laugh with her words. Her debut mystery, Maid of Murder, was an Agatha Award Nominee for Best First Novel. Amanda is an academic librarian for a small college near Cleveland. She also writes mysteries as Isabella Alan.

Author Interview

My Impressions:

A Plain Death was on the shortlist of books nominated for the mystery/thriller category of the Inspy Awards. It was my very great honor and pleasure to serve as a judge in this category. The decision was hard — all the books nominated were excellent! Here are some of my thoughts on this novel.

Chloe is off to her first real job as the tech director of a small college in the heart of Ohio Amish country. Before she even reaches the rural community of Appleseed Creek she rescues young Amish woman, Becky Troyer, from two local thugs. Her determination to enter the Amish community is met with a mixture of welcome and hostility. Undaunted, Chloe sets to solve the mystery surrounding damage to Amish property and the death of a beloved Bishop, while becoming more and more involved with Timothy, Becky’s brother.

A Plain Death combines several genres — Amish, cozy mystery, and Christian fiction — to create a very satisfying read. Great characters, picture perfect setting, and a mystery that keeps you interested, this novel has it all. A quick read, A Plain Death is a welcome addition to your vacation reading. I liked that the author distinguishes between the various Amish sects. There really is no stereotypical Amish community. They all have their differences in spiritual and cultural rules and restrictions. The characters are seeking to know God in the light of and despite their past experiences and upbringing.  God’s grace is a strong theme in Flower’s novel.

If you like a small town setting, an interesting mystery and some fun, quirky and endearing characters, then pick up A Plain Death. This novel is book 1 in An Appleseed Creek Mystery series. Book 2, A Plain Scandal is also available. Book 3, A Plain Disappearance is due out in September 2013.

Recommended. 

(I received a copy of this novel from the publisher for the judging process. The opinions expressed are mine alone.)

To purchase a copy of A Plain Death, click on the image below.

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Book Review: Nursing A Grudge

4 Feb

Nursing-Grudge-grey-bar-166x250WHAT’S THE WORST THAT COULD HAPPEN?
For twenty-five years, EARL WALKER has been defined by the two worst things that ever happened to him: The death of his beloved wife, and the bullet that ended his career as a metro bus driver. Now bound to a wheelchair, he lives at Candlewick Retirement Center … where he barely knows the neighbors. Not that it matters: Following a failed state inspection, residents have thirty days to get out.

When he’s dragged from his assisted-living apartment to a clandestine spicy hot chili party, he almost has fun … until someone ends up dead. Now Earl seems to be the only one suspicious of the way the party-goer met his demise. Can he solve the puzzle—and figure out his relationship with his new lady friend—before Candlewick is closed down and the suspects move away?

a2fd9ea061040a7f0235a6.L._V137929916_SX200_Chris Well writes laugh-out-loud crime and mystery fiction. Fascinated with stories from a young age, Chris always knew he wanted to write. Following a lengthy tangent during which he became an award-winning writer and editor for magazines and newspapers (which, of course, is still “writing”), he published his first novel in 2005. His latest fiction includes the crime comedy Too Good to be Truman and the Earl Walker Mysteries.

He and his wife make their home in Tennessee. Please visit him online at StudioWell.com.

My Impressions:

I found another cozy mystery series that is good and is written from a Christian perspective! Chris Well is the author of the Earl Walker Mysteries which feature senior adult Earl Walker, a retired bus driver. In the first novel of the series, Earl is living at Candlewick, a retirement home. Earl has secluded himself from the other residents of the home and thinks he likes it that way. Lonely and bitter since being shot on his bus route and the death of his beloved wife, Earl is beyond grumpy. But an earnest and meddling college aged volunteer gets him back on track and right in the middle of a murder mystery.

The writing is funny, the characters are likable, and the whodunit keeps you guessing along with Earl. If you like cozy mysteries, I think you should try out Nursing A Grudge. And the Kindle version is currently only 99 cents!

Recommended.

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